Florida Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2018 season

Florida football’s expectations heading into the 2018 season are higher than in previous seasons, but how will the Gators perform?

Dan Mullen has a chance to do something no head coach at Florida has done since Urban Meyer and that’s lead the Gators to a national title.

Though he was never able to lead Mississippi State to that highest level, he brought a program that was otherwise irrelevant before his arrival to SEC contention. Imagine what he could do at a program like Florida where the resources are much better.

The Gators have higher expectations heading into the 2018 season than in previous years under Jim McElwain and some national pundits even have them as dark-horse playoff contenders.

How will the Gators fare this season?

Dan Mullen is familiar with Charleston Southern as he faced the Buccaneers a season ago while coaching at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were able to demolish the Buccaneers 49-0 and they finished the year just 6-5.

The Buccaneers didn’t have much success against any team with a pulse in 2017, losing to the only other Power Five team they face — Indiana — by a final score of 27-0. They were shut out three times on the year, the final donut they put up was against Big South champion Kennesaw State, 38-0.

Don’t expect this year to be much different as the Gators will overwhelm the Buccaneers in the first game of the season, coming close to a shutout, but not quite finishing the job.

Charleston Southern will score a touchdown in garbage time to break the shutout.

Final Score: Charleston Southern 7, Florida 41 (1-0)